Health Psychology Ch. 6, 7 & 8

Front 1

acquired immune deficiency syndrome (AIDS)

Back 1

An immune deficiency caused by viral infection and resulting in vulnerability to a wide range of bacterial, viral, and malignant diseases.

Front 2

agoraphobia

Back 2

An anxiety state characterized by fear about or avoidance of places or situations from which escape might be difficult.

Front 3

allergy

Back 3

An immune system response characterized by an abnormal reaction to a foreign substance.

Front 4

antibodies

Back 4

Protein substances produced in response to a specific invader or antigen, marking it for destruction and thus creating immunity to that invader.

Front 5

antigens

Back 5

Substances that provoke the immune system to produce antibodies.

Front 6

autoimmune diseases

Back 6

Disorders that occur as a result of the immune system’s failure to differentiate between body cells and foreign cells, resulting in the body’s attack and destruction of its own cells.

Front 7

B-cell

Back 7

A variety of lymphocyte that attacks invading microorganisms.

Front 8

cytokines

Back 8

Chemical messengers secreted by cells in the immune system, forming a communication link between the nervous and immune systems.

Front 9

diabetes mellitus

Back 9

A disorder caused by insulin deficiency.

Front 10

diathesis-stress model

Back 10

A theory of stress that suggests that some individuals are vulnerable to stress-related illnesses because they are genetically predisposed to those illnesses.

Front 11

granulocyte

Back 11

A type of lymphocyte that acts rapidly to kill invading organisms.

Front 12

humoral immunity

Back 12

Immunity created through the process of exposure to antigens and production of antibodies in the bloodstream.

Front 13

immune surveillance theory

Back 13

A theoretical model suggesting that cancer is the result of an immune system dysfunction.

Front 14

immunity

Back 14

A response to foreign microorganisms that occurs with repeated exposure and results in resistance to a disease.

Front 15

inflammation

Back 15

A general immune system response that works to restore damaged tissue.

Front 16

lymph

Back 16

Tissue fluid that has entered a lymphatic vessel.

Front 17

lymph nodes

Back 17

Small nodules of lymphatic tissue spaced throughout the lymphatic system that help clean lymph of debris.

Front 18

lymphatic system

Back 18

System that transports lymph through the body.

Front 19

lymphocytes

Back 19

White blood cells found in lymph that are involved in the immune function.

Front 20

macrophage

Back 20

A type of lymphocyte that attacks invading organisms.

Front 21

natural killer (NK) cell

Back 21

A type of lymphocyte that attacks invading organisms.

Front 22

phagocytosis

Back 22

The process of engulfing and killing foreign particles.

Front 23

plasma cells

Back 23

Cells, derived from B-cells, that secrete antibodies.

Front 24

posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Back 24

An anxiety disorder caused by experience with an extremely traumatic event and characterized by recurrent and intrusive reexperiencing of the event.

Front 25

psychoneuroimmunology

Back 25

A multidisciplinary field that focuses on the interactions among behavior, the nervous system, the endocrine system, and the immune system.

Front 26

rheumatoid arthritis

Back 26

An autoimmune disorder characterized by a dull ache within or around a joint.

Front 27

spleen

Back 27

large organ near the stomach that serves as a repository for lymphocytes and red blood cells.

Front 28

T-cells

Back 28

The cells of the immune system that produce immunity.

Front 29

thymosin

Back 29

A hormone produced by the thymus.

Front 30

thymus

Back 30

An organ located near the heart that secretes thymosin and thus processes and activates T-cells.

Front 31

tonsils

Back 31

Masses of lymphatic tissue located in the pharynx.

Front 32

vaccination

Back 32

A method of inducing immunity in which a weakened form of a virus or bacterium is introduced into the body.

Front 33

A-beta fibers

Back 33

Large sensory fibers involved in rapidly transmitting sensation and possibly in inhibiting the transmission of pain.

Front 34

A-delta fibers

Back 34

Small sensory fibers that are involved in the experience of “fast” pain.

Front 35

acute pain

Back 35

Short-term pain that results from tissue damage or other trauma.

Front 36

afferent neurons

Back 36

Sensory neurons that relay information from the sense organs toward the brain.

Front 37

analgesic drugs

Back 37

Drugs that decrease the perception of pain.

Front 38

behavior modification

Back 38

Shaping behavior by manipulating reinforcement in order to obtain a desired behavior.

Front 39

C fibers

Back 39

Small-diameter nerve fibers that provide information concerning slow, diffuse, lingering pain.

Front 40

central control trigger

Back 40

A nerve impulse that descends from the brain and influences the perception of pain

Front 41

chronic pain

Back 41

Pain that endures beyond the time of normal healing; frequently experienced in the absence of detectable tissue damage.

Front 42

chronic recurrent pain

Back 42

Alternating episodes of intense pain and no pain.

Front 43

cluster headache

Back 43

A type of severe headache that occurs in daily clusters for 4 to 16 weeks. Symptoms are similar to migraine, but duration is much briefer.

Front 44

cognitive therapy

Back 44

A type of therapy that aims to change attitudes and beliefs, assuming that behavior change will follow.

Front 45

dependence

Back 45

A condition in which a drug becomes incorporated into the functioning of the body’s cells so that it is needed for “normal” functioning.

Front 46

dorsal horns

Back 46

The part of the spinal cord away from the stomach that receives sensory input and that may play an important role in the perception of pain.

Front 47

efferent neurons

Back 47

Motor neurons that convey impulses away from the brain.

Front 48

endorphins

Back 48

Naturally occurring neurochemicals whose effects resemble those of the opiates.

Front 49

fibromyalgia

Back 49

A chronic pain condition characterized by tender points throughout the body; this condition produces symptoms of fatigue, headache, cognitive difficulties, anxiety, and sleep disturbances.

Front 50

gate control theory

Back 50

A theory of pain holding that structures in the spinal cord act as a gate for sensory input that is interpreted as pain.

Front 51

interneurons

Back 51

Neurons that connect sensory neurons to motor neurons; association neurons.

Front 52

laminae

Back 52

Layers of cell bodies.

Front 53

medulla

Back 53

The structure of the hindbrain just above the spinal cord.

Front 54

migraine headache

Back 54

Recurrent headache pain originally believed to be caused by constriction and dilation of the vascular arteries but now accepted as involving neurons in the brain stem.

Front 55

myelin

Back 55

A fatty substance that acts as insulation for neurons.

Front 56

nociceptors

Back 56

Sensory receptors in the skin and organs that are capable of responding to various types of stimulation that may cause tissue damage.

Front 57

osteoarthritis

Back 57

Progressive inflammation of the joints.

Front 58

periaqueductal gray

Back 58

An area of the midbrain that, when stimulated, decreases pain.

Front 59

phantom limb pain

Back 59

The experience of chronic pain in an absent body part.

Front 60

positive reinforcer

Back 60

Any positively valued stimulus that, when added to a situation, strengthens the behavior it follows.

Front 61

prechronic pain

Back 61

Pain that endures beyond the acute phase but has not yet become chronic.

Front 62

primary afferents

Back 62

Sensory neurons that convey impulses from the skin to the spinal cord.

Front 63

rheumatoid arthritis

Back 63

An autoimmune disorder characterized by a dull ache within or around a joint.

Front 64

somatosensory cortex

Back 64

The part of the brain that receives and processes sensory input from the body.

Front 65

somatosensory system

Back 65

The part of the nervous system that carries sensory information from the body to the brain.

Front 66

substantia gelatinosa

Back 66

Two layers of the dorsal horns of the spinal cord.

Front 67

syndrome

Back 67

A cluster of symptoms that characterize a particular condition.

Front 68

tension headache

Back 68

Pain produced by sustained muscle contractions in the neck, shoulders, scalp, and face, as well as by activity in the central nervous system.

Front 69

thalamus

Back 69

Structure in the forebrain that acts as a relay center for incoming sensory information and outgoing motor information.

Front 70

tolerance

Back 70

The need for increasing levels of a drug in order to produce a constant level of effect.

Front 71

transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS)

Back 71

Treatment for pain involving electrical stimulation of neurons from the surface of the skin.

Front 72

acupressure

Back 72

The application of pressure rather than needles to the points used in acupuncture.

Front 73

acupuncture

Back 73

An ancient Chinese form of analgesia that consists of inserting needles into specific points on the skin and continuously stimulating the needles.

Front 74

alternative medicine

Back 74

A group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not currently considered part of conventional medicine and are used as alternatives to conventional treatment.

Front 75

Ayurveda

Back 75

A system of medicine that originated in India more than 2,000 years ago; it emphasizes the attainment of health through balance and connection with all things in the universe.

Front 76

biofeedback

Back 76

The process of providing feedback information about the status of a biological system to that system.

Front 77

complementary medicine

Back 77

A group of diverse medical and health care systems, practices, and products that are not currently considered part of conventional medicine and are used in addition to conventional techniques.

Front 78

electromyograph (EMG) biofeedback

Back 78

Feedback that reflects activity of the skeletal muscles.

Front 79

induction

Back 79

The process of being placed into a hypnotic state.

Front 80

integrative medicine

Back 80

The approach to treatment that attempts to integrate techniques from both conventional and alternative medicine.

Front 81

naturopathy

Back 81

A medical system that arose in Europe during the 19th century that holds that nature contains the power to heal and the human body has the ability to maintain and to return to a state of health.

Front 82

Raynaud's disease

Back 82

A vasoconstrictive disorder characterized by inadequate circulation in the extremities, especially the fingers or toes, resulting in pain.

Front 83

thermal biofeedback

Back 83

Feedback concerning changes in skin temperature.

Front 84

thermister

Back 84

A temperature-sensitive resistor used in thermal biofeedback.